Our Happily Ever Afters

Hey Dolls!


So, in the name of Valentine's Day (which was totally yesterday) I decided to do a different type of post.  Instead of focusing purely on the wedding aspect, I wanted to do something I am very fond of:  happily every afters.

One of my favorite people ever, Elise from Elise Creates, did a little blogging action and said something that I quite liked.  She said:

"I do believe in happily ever afters.  I very literally believe that happiness and love can last for forever after.  I believe in Princesses and in Prince Charmings.  They're all around us, they are us.  But it's a choice, an action.  Your happily every after started long ago.  So stop waiting for it and find it in your life right now."

Um.  How beyond AMAZING is that?!  I would say I would agree with her 100%.  Happily ever afters are within your reach, whether it is with finding the perfect job, the perfect version of yourself or finding the perfect future hubster.  It's there!  Promise.  Don't give up hope.


Now, because our company name is "Finding Your Fairytale", I think it is only right to be a complete cheese ball and give a little love from some princesses.  And feel good quotes.  And quotes I think are rad.  Here we go honeys.

And, last but not least, a quote from a VERY credible source ;)

So there you have it, dolls, my feel good post.  Remember you ARE a princess, and everything you dream of CAN happen.  Don't stop believing (I may or may not have belted out that song as I was typing that...)

Cheeks!

Ash :)

Venues: The Beautiful and Creative (Bad and Ugly Aren't Welcome Here)

Hey Dolls,

Happy Friday!  Holy moly I am so excited it's almost the weekend.  Les and I get to go to a bridal show tomorrow and we are stoked!  So, I thought I would post a little about what has kind of been on my mind recently.  (This is how I know I'm meant to do this, I think about events/ideas/concepts constantly)  I decided I'd talk a little about....dum dum dum dum...VENUES

This all came to me when we had a bride stop by at our last bridal show with her venue being somewhere I would never think to get married.  All sorts of lights went off.  Note the post :-)  Let's begin, yes?

Venue numero uno!  An ice skating rink!!  What??!!!!!  This is where the one bride is getting married.  I find this cool (hahaha)  for two main reasons: 1.  I have never heard of this and think it's amazingly awesome 2.  Her fiance is a hockey player and his dad built the rink.  Pass.shoot.score.  Just don't ask me to skate.  I'm a railing holder all the way.

K so lesssbehonest, (if you haven't seen Pitch Perfect, do it.  Guaranteed laugh) I don't even know what building this is, but it's A-MA-ZING.  A good thing with a venue like this is it already has all of the detail to create a luxurious event without having to bring in a billion different accessories.  

A museum.  LOVE this.  It is sooo unique and it is a venue your guests will never forget.  This venue would be perfect if that is where the couple met, got engaged, or where they both work.  Best way to use this is if it is somehow tied to the couple.  Let's just hope it doesn't get all Night At the Museum....

A castle.  Okay.  Can you get anymore "fairytale" than this?  I think not.  Every girl's dream.  If I got to do a wedding in a castle I think I would die and go.to.heaven.  You don't even have to get married in this one.  Any one will do me just fine :)

A good ol' fashioned backyard wedding.  I think these weddings can be absolutely adorable.  You can do so many things with a backyard wedding.  It's also cost effective so you're spending more on the decor instead of the space itself and you really aren't going to make your guests feel more at home.

So here's the deal-yo honeys.  Pick a venue that matches you as a couple.  It makes your day even more special if you can pick a venue that means something to both of you.  Also consider the feel you want to give off; if you want something over the top, do a castle.  If you want the down home good time feel, go for the backyard.  Remember, it's YOUR day.  Until next time!

Cheeks,

Ash :)

Exciting News!

Hey Dolls,

Sooo....finals week and all of the holidays got the best of me, hence the slacking of posting up blogs.  But!  I have some super exciting news.  With my co-worker and lady I adore, Leslie Price, we have started our own wedding and event planning company, Finding Your Fairytale!  We are so excited I can't even tell you.  I have some really cool ideas and some really fun projects coming up, so stay tuned!  You can visit our page, www.findingyourfairytale.com and like us on Facebook too!

Tomorrow I will try and post up what I have been thinking of for the past couple of days so check back tomorrow!

Cheeks!

Ash :-)

Wedding Trend Wednesday (yay!): Lace

Hey Dolls,

Happy almost a week late Thanksgiving!  Yay!  Hope it was amazing!  I have some pictures of the decor I did that I might possibly post on here after I get my editing on.  So, I have to say I'm kind of really excited about this Wedding Trend Wednesday.  LACE.  I love everything about lace.  I love the elegance, the timelessness, and the vintage-y feel you get!  Lesssbehonest, I'd totally do my whole wedding in lace if I could afford it.

Since that's not gonna happen, let's play, plan, and dream, yeah?

LACE:

The Dress:

Okay, for serious?  This is adorable.  I have seen a ton of the longer sleeve looks too that I find simply exquisite

The Cake:

LOVE this cake.  I'm not sure how they do it but it really looks like that is raised lace on there...bakery stalking to find out?  Maybe...

The Invitation:

Cu.tie. pa.too.tie.  Honest to goodness.  This is super classy in such a simple way.  Totes demure :)

The Decor:

Now, currently working at Purely Linens, Tables and Chairs, I take notice of linens.  I do have to say linens can make or break an event and I am SUCH a fan of lace overlays.  It's just that little detail that can make a huge difference.  (side-note: love that champagne color w/ivory overlay.  Fave.)

Lace can make your day the timeless/classic/elegant wedding you hoped for!  And the best part about lace?  It can almost never be overdone.  Almost.  Until later honeys!

Cheeks,

Ash :)

Wedding Trend...Whichever Day I Finally Do It: Colored Dresses

Hey Dolls,

I can't help but laugh because I had SUCH big plans for every Wednesday being Wedding Trend Wednesdays!  And, as you all can probably guess, sometimes life doesn't want to work out that way.  But, I'm getting around to it :)  Needless to say, this one is going to be late, short, sweet and to the point!  Just the way I like it!

I decided to do my trend on..bum da da dum!:

COLORED DRESSES:

Okay so if you want to get technical, this wasn't Cinderella's wedding dress.  But!  If she lived in our time period and, well, was real....I bet she would show some flair!  If she had a blue dress then by golly so can you!  Or purple, or pink, whatever you want!

If you're like me and are a traditional type of gal, you can always just do that little pop of color with a sash, headpiece (like a flower), or suuuper sassy shoes.  My faves.

OH YEAH!  LOVE this!!  It's like, oh what a nice dress she's got and then BAM!!  There's color.  Right where/when you least expect it.  Super fun without going waaaayy too overboard.  (*cough cough* SJP...yeah...she wore a black one.  Isn't that a bad omen or something...?)

 

Well now that's just...brave.  You know?  I think I actually like this.  Am I brave enough to do it?  Hahahaha HECK NO.  I love how she still stands out and how she was smart enough to have her bridesmaids wear a soft pink?  Ivory? I don't know.  Either way, major props for taking that leap!

Aaaannndddd just because I started out with one....

Almost all of them (Come on C...get with the program) are rockin' colored dresses.  UH HUH!  That is what I like to see. Word of advice for this trend; stay classy, not trashy :)

Until next time Honeys!

Cheeks!

Ash :)

Wedding Trend Wednesdays: Not So Traditional Cakes

Hey Dolls,

Oh.my.goodness.  Can you believe I am actually doing a "Wedding Trend Wednesday" post on an actual Wednesday?!  *cue hallelujahs from the heavens* I mean, I was pretty proud if I do say so myself.  Sorry for the slacking.  I feel like I'm giving myself a bad rap haha  I'm really on top of things I PROMISE!!!  Anyways, I have been thinking about this topic for a bit, (maybe because I really like cake/desserts/anything sugar, or maybe because I'm just good at catching trends...yeah, we'll pretend it's the second one... :) ) and decided to finally do it.   

We all know about the traditional style wedding cake, yeah?  Well, I've actually seen some cool, imaginative ways to do something other than cake   So, let us eat cake!  Or not.  Either way, we're getting our sugar on.

Not So Traditional Cakes:

The Pie Cake:  LOVE this idea.  Perfect for any outdoor wedding.  And, hello.  Pretty sure pie is less fattening than wedding cake.  Or maybe I just made that up.  Either way, I think it should definitely be an option.  Birds included. 

  The Cupcake Cake: Okay now here, is where I'm gonna be straight up.  Not a big fan of the cupcake cake.  I feel like everyone and their dog has done them.  Normally, they either look too full or super scarce.  But!  I did find this one picture that I liked.  They just look so dainty don't they?  Super cute.  And, it does cut down cost.  I'm takin' that extra money to Tiffany's the bank!

The Doughnut Cake: Can I just make a really funny side note?  I typed "elegant cupcake wedding cakes" into Google and I got doughnuts.  So classy.  And apparently, the new cupcake? K no but for reals.  I think this idea is so stinking adorable.  And super fun.  Who doesn't like doughnuts.  Chocolate?  Yes. Sprinkles?  Yes.  Glazed?  Yes.  All of the above?  GENIUS.

The Krispie Cake: Snap, crackle, and POP, this idea is amazing (too corny :-s ?) Sooo...let's just say I don't know if I could ever do this.  I think I'd take the whole bottom layer, walk around with it under my arm, and eat it all throughout my reception. That is how much of a fan I am of Krispies.  Advantages:  It won't melt, or go bad super quick or get stale (do they?  I don't know, I've always eaten them all before that could happen).  Disadvantages:  No cake shmushing.  It's always a sad day in the wedding world when there's no cake shmushing.

The Cake Pop Cake: Yuummm.  I like this idea because you still get the cake, just in smaller doses.  And these would be good for on the way home if you didn't want to eat them there.  I have MAJOR respect for cake pop makers.  I've been there.  It ain't fun!  The chocolate gets all sorts of crazy.  And then you just have to lick it off your fingers.  It's like an unwritten rule.

So there ya have it my honeys!  I think you can pretty much choose any one of your's and the future hub's favorite desserts and make it work.  Creativity is key, people!  Until next time!

Cheeks,

Ash :)

Wedding Trend Wednesday (late again) : Guest Books

Hey Dolls,

Okay so apparently, I thought I would be WAY more on top of posting than I have been.  Hence another day late for Wedding Trend Wednesday.  Upside?  I get to pass my time at the library doing this instead of wasting time on Satan's Site Pinterest. 
*side-note:  you can totally follow me on pinterest...awilso23 :)

Alright Wedding Trend Wednesday!!!!  Today's topic:

Guest Books:

So it is kind of an unwritten rule that a bride and groom have some type of "wedding welcome" we'll call it.  Traditionally, they have just been literal books for people to sign in.  That is until recently (or not too recent but I'm just now picking up on it).  I have seen many a type of *announcer voice* the new, and improved, gggguuuueeessstttt book! 
Okay, I know I'm a complete nerdo.  Let me remind you, I'm at the school library.  Nothing exciting happens here.


Thumbprint Tree:

Soooo, let's be honest.  I'm not completely sold on this idea.  That could solely be because I hate, hate, hate having things on my hands, ink included.  But, if you are having any type of outdoor or country wedding, these are perfect!

 

 

 

Wish Tree:

 

Okay so I really, really like this idea.  How did trees get so popular anyhow?  I have no idea but I will take it!  So one thing I love about this is guests can write a little note, not just sign their name.  Guests can put any little thing on that note that they would like; inside jokes, famous quotes, etc.  And!  How cute would it be to take these out every year and put them on your Christmas tree?! (Yes, I admit I have already been listening to Christmas music.  It's gonna be a good one this year, I can feel it!)

 

 

 

Furniture:

 

 

This idea was pretty new to me but I love this one too.  It's where guests sign some type of furniture that's going to be in/around your house.  I personally think signing matching rocking chairs would be the quintessential item because what married couple doesn't talk about 60 yrs down the road?  What do people above 60 do?  They rock.  In rocking chairs.  On their porches.  When it's not too cold.  :)

 

 

 

Taking Pictures:

 

I like this idea also.  Who doesn't get all dolled up for a wedding?  I always want to have my picture taken at weddings.  That, and the couple can remember what you looked like back in the day :)  You could do this in so many different ways too.  I have seen it done with props, chalk board messages, and photo booth style.  I.love.erry.one. 

 

 

Chandelier???:

 

I'm sorry, WHAT???!!!  Okay.  That is beyond rad.  I mean, what?!  I just can't wrap my head around that one at all.  Whoever came up with this idea is totally ARTSY FARTSY and I LOVE it!!

 

 

 

So there you have it Honeys!  These are just 5 different ways you could do a guest book.  All of these are super cute and can be done really easily.  You could also stick with the traditional guest book and I like when couples do a book with their engagement photos in it that you sign around.  Don't be afraid to be different!  As with everything else wedding, put YOUR style into it and it will be fabulous!

 

Cheeks,

 

Ash :)